Port is a fortified wine, produced in the Demarcated Region of the Douro, Portugal. It takes its name from the city of Oporto that is situated at the mouth of the 560-mile long Rio Douro (River of Gold). Traditionally, the grapes were harvested and transported down the Douro river to Oporto on sailing boats knows as Barcos. Oporto is still the centre for the maturing of Port wines, as well as the commercial trading and export centre.
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Location
The Douro Port region extends for about one hundred kilometres along
the Douro River. Its Western boundary is just below the town of
Régua and it extends to the Spanish frontier in the east.
Grapes
Red: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), Touriga Francesa,
Tinta Barroca, Tinto Cão
Look Out For
Quinta: Estate |
The name "Port Wine" is protected by the Appellation system (Denomination of Origin), and only wine produced in this region may be labelled as "Port".
Vintage Port
Vintage port comes from a single year, and the producers will only 'declare' a vintage in the very best years - approximately 2 or 3 every decade. The wine is aged in oak for over two years before being bottled, unfiltered. It should then be matured in bottle for 10 or 15 years before being opened, and some will improve for much longer.
Single-Quinta Vintage Port
As the name suggests, single Quinta Port is the produce of a single estate. It is produced in a good quality year, but usually one that's not quite good enough to be declared. Grapes come from a single vineyard, whereas Vintage Ports are blends from the best sites. Single Quintas are bottled after 2 years and normally allowed to mature in the bottled before being sold.
Late Bottled Vintage (LBV)
LBV is wine from a single year not deemed good enough to make a Vintage Port. It is left to age in wood for four to six years, then fined and filtered before bottling. It is designed to have a similar character to a well-aged Vintage; not all succeed, but some can be very good. 'Traditional' unfiltered LBV, can be a lovely, perfumed drink that can be enjoyed as soon as you buy it.
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Passing the Port
Tradition has it that should always be passed from the right to the
left. The decanter of port is placed in front of the host, who
then serves the guest to their right, then themselves, before passing
the decanter to the guest on their left. The port is then passed
to the left all the way back to the host.
If the decanter comes to a standstill, it is considered poor
form to ask for it directly. The host will ask the guest that
has the port "Do you know the Bishop of Winchester?" (or
some other English town). The question is not meant to get
an answer but action – namely the immediate passing of
the decanter. However, if the guest answers, "No," they
are told "He is an awfully good fellow – but he
never passes the port!" |
Crusted
This is a non-vintage blend that is usually an excellent budget substitute for vintage port. It is named for the crust of sediment it forms in the bottle.
White Port
These wines range from very dry to very sweet; the sweetest is designated as Lagrima. They are not very common in the UK, although they are more popular in Portugal and France, where they are almost always served chilled as an aperitif.
Ruby Port
This is the simplest and youngest of ports. It is a blend from the produce of several harvests, and spends two to three years in stainless steel or wood before being bottled.
Tawny Port
The difference between this and ruby Port is simply the amount of time the wine has spent maturing in oak; usually at least six more years. This additional wood aging allows it to develop a pale amber brown or tawny hue, and a dry nutty flavour. However, cheap tawny is simply a mixture of ruby and white ports, and is generally not worth bothering about.
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